Memphis

MEMPHIS — The MLGW board voted unanimously Oct. 21 for three consecutive annual increases starting in 2027. Fox13 reported water rates would rise 12 percent a year for residential customers, 20 percent for commercial and industrial users and 30 percent for a new data center class. That compounds to about 40 percent more for residential water by the end. Gas would rise 11 percent a year, about 37 percent in total. CEO Doug McGowen said the increases are meant to head off costlier system failures and that none of the money goes to data center infrastructure. In early October the utility estimated the changes could add roughly $18 a month for gas and $10 for water. MLGW leaders brief the City Council on Nov. 18. The budget goes to committee Nov. 24, and the council has meetings Dec. 8 and 22. Increases would take effect in January 2027 if approved. The MLGW board meets again Wednesday, Nov. 4.

MEMPHIS — U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw dissolved the temporary order that had kept Tennessee's nine-member oversight board from acting since July 1, Chalkbeat Tennessee reported. The board can now override most major decisions, including the budget and school closures. It can also appoint a superintendent and change curriculum. Crenshaw had said at an Oct. 2 hearing that the district had not shown enough evidence of harm to students. District leaders then filed an amended complaint arguing the state is singling out a predominantly Black student body and diverting classroom money to board costs. A federal suit is still pending. A separate Shelby County Chancery Court case awaits reassignment after the judge recused, Action News 5 reported. Commissioner Towanna Murphy said the board should meet in Memphis, as chair Billy Orgel's board has met only virtually or in Nashville. Orgel had not responded to that outlet's questions about next steps.

MEMPHIS — After the Oct. 6 council meeting ended with police clearing the chamber, state Rep. Justin Pearson and five others were barred from returning. They sued in federal court on First Amendment grounds, and a judge halted the ban before the Oct. 20 data center session, CNN reported. Action News 5 reported that Amber Sherman, one of the people who had been banned, said the practice had now been ruled unconstitutional and was long-standing at the council. That claim comes from a plaintiff, not a court quotation. The Daily Memphian's Oct. 20 coverage said Pearson celebrated the lifted ban. The council chair's office meanwhile imposed new security rules, including clear bags only, inspections of chambers before meetings, and limits on who can enter City Hall. Further litigation has not been reported.

MEMPHIS — Playhouse on the Square's 2026-27 season page lists 'Narnia' as its next production, with a run from Nov. 6 to Dec. 20. The holiday-season slate that follows includes Disney's 'Frozen,' which opens Nov. 13 and also runs through Dec. 20. 'The Night Shift Before Christmas' is scheduled to follow on Nov. 20. Ticket-listing sites show 'Frozen' performances at 7 p.m. on Fridays and 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The theater's season page does not list prices or showtimes for 'Narnia.' Playhouse is in the Overton Square performing arts district. It is the company's 58th season, and the full 12-show schedule runs through June 2027. Opening-night and ticket details for 'Narnia' are best confirmed with the theater's box office.

MEMPHIS — Hattiloo Theatre's weekly Laugh Box comedy series continues Wednesday, Nov. 4, in the theater's small Culture Box room. The bill is billed as featuring Jeremy Roach and Chris Ingram. Hattiloo's listing describes Ingram as a native Memphian and a 14-year veteran who has toured nationally. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. The theater says these shows are intimate and often sell out, and it advises buying early. The series runs on Wednesday evenings through November, with another installment on Nov. 11. The main stage is separately occupied by the theater's current Season 20 programming. Hattiloo bills itself as one of the region's few freestanding Black repertory theaters.

GERMANTOWN — A new visual arts exhibition by Remy Miller goes on view Monday, Nov. 2, in the Patrick Lawton Lobby at the Germantown Performing Arts Centre. It replaces the John Robinette show, which hangs through Nov. 2. Miller's work remains up through Dec. 7. The center has scheduled an artist reception for Saturday, Nov. 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The lobby show can be seen alongside the center's performances. Those include Terence Blanchard's Miles and Coltrane centennial concert on Nov. 7 and The Best of The Second City comedy show, also on Nov. 14, at 8 p.m. The calendar does not list admission for the exhibition or the reception. The box office can be reached at 901-751-7500.